Defence Vetting Agency: Key Targets 2005–06

Lord Drayson: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Key targets have now been set for the acting chief executive of the DVA for the financial year 2005–06. Building upon the progress made since it formed in 1997, these incremental targets will help the agency to become more responsive to its customers by processing security clearances more quickly, without any loss of quality.
	Key Target 1: Externally validate quality to:
	a. Achieve at least a 98 per cent success rating with cases independently selected at random.
	b. Achieve no serious errors that should have been identified at the time of vetting.
	Key Target 2: To complete the vetting review backlog programme by:
	a. Reducing the developed vetting review backlog to zero by 31 March 2006.
	b. Completing a further 33 per cent of the security check review backlog programme.
	Key Target 3: To improve the completion time of routine cases to:
	g. 75 per cent of basic checks in six calendar days.
	h. 75 per cent of enhanced basic checks in 10 calendar days.
	i. 75 per cent of security check transfers in 12 calendar days.
	j. 62 per cent of counter-terrorist checks in 30 calendar days.
	k. 65 per cent of security checks in 30 calendar days.
	l. 83 per cent of developed vetting in 100 calendar days.
	Key Target 4: To improve the completion time of priority cases to:
	d. 75 per cent of basic checks and enhanced basic checks in three calendar days.
	e. 85 per cent of counter-terrorist checks and security checks in 10 calendar days.
	f. 70 per cent of developed vetting in 30 calendar days.
	Note: Volume of priority cases to be no more than 10 per cent of total requests per month.
	Key Target 5: To achieve average completion times of:
	g. Six calendar days for basic checks.
	h. 10 calendar days for enhanced basic checks.
	i. 30 calendar days for counter-terrorist checks.
	j. 12 calendar days for security check transfers.
	k. 30 calendar days for security checks.
	l. 70 calendar days for developed vetting.
	Note: The above timeliness targets represent net performance that excludes delays outside DVA control.
	Key Target 6: To reduce the unit cost of output by 2 per cent.
	Copies of the DVA corporate plan will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

C Vehicle Capability

Lord Drayson: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Don Touhig) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am pleased to announce that the Amey Lex Consortium has been awarded a contract to provide the Armed Forces with a new generation of heavy plant equipment, logistic support and construction machines, collectively known as C vehicles, under a private finance initiative deal. The contract is valued at over £600 million for the 15-year period.
	The C vehicles will be used for earthmoving, digging, dozing, lifting and for transporting combat supplies around the battlefield. The great utility of this equipment has been seen on recent operations, building and maintaining the infrastructure for our troops.
	Sourcing the equipment through a PFI deal will provide a more rapid fleet turnover, especially in the early years of the contract, which will allow changes in technology and fleet management processes to be introduced quickly, reducing the maintenance and supply burden thereby benefiting front-line troops.
	The best elements of commercial practice will be used to support maintenance and repair, providing the opportunity to reduce spares holdings and to adopt a strategic pooling approach to the provision of the capability.

Energy Policy Developments

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My honourable friend the Minister for Energy (Malcolm Wicks) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	We are today announcing two significant developments in government energy policy. The first is the publication of a carbon abatement technology strategy for fossil fuel use. The second is our response to the proposals made in the independent report we have received from consultants on a strategic framework for a future hydrogen economy. We are committing some £40 million of capital grants to stimulate the development of these technologies and of fuel cells. Around £25 million is expected to be allocated for demonstration of carbon abatement technologies with £15 million going to hydrogen and fuel cells.
	Reaching the UK's target of cutting carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 requires action now that will enable us to use coal and gas more cleanly. We must of course maintain the very significant momentum already built towards renewables and energy efficiency; but in parallel, cleaning up our use of fossil fuels, developing the vast potential of hydrogen and fuel cells, and keeping UK industry on the front foot are vital long-term objectives.
	Fossil fuels will continue to be a dominant source of power for decades to come, with about 75 per cent of UK electricity still likely to be coming from these sources by 2020. The carbon abatement technologies strategy has been designed to promote a twin-track approach towards more efficient plant, producing lower emissions, together with carbon capture and storage which would enable the remaining carbon to be captured, before it escapes to atmosphere, and stored in geological formations. At the same time, with major expansion of coal-fired power generation expected in China and India, we want to put the UK at the forefront of what could be valuable export opportunities.
	Fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, will be the principal source for the first generation of hydrogen production. The UK Hydrogen Energy Strategic Framework report provides an objective analysis of the benefits to the UK of moving towards a hydrogen future. It shows that hydrogen could provide competitive low-carbon energy for transport from a range of secure energy sources. Though the technical and economic challenges are significant, hydrogen has great long-term potential and the UK needs to put itself on the path to reap the benefits. Fuel cells also have significant potential in non-transport applications; for example, natural gas fuel cells have the prospect of becoming viable for stationary power generation over the next few years.
	We are today also announcing our intention to establish a hydrogen co-ordination unit which will help to bring together existing and future activity on hydrogen within an overall strategy. It will help to ensure that the UK's participation in international initiatives such as the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy is fully effective and benefits both the UK and our international partners.
	Across all the technologies there is very major EU and wider international interest and activity offering significant opportunities for British businesses. One of the aims of the hydrogen and CAT strategies is to position the UK to capitalise on this.